http://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/07/13/17/goodbye-the-magician-bata-reyes-eyes-retirement Looks like he's winding it down.
Efren..........................
- Thread starter garczar
- Start date
Ahhhhhh!!!!! I will be in Vegas this summer and was hoping to meet him finally at the US Open 8 ball event, I figured he would be there for that. Now, maybe not. My son will not be happy.
I think he has been for a while, exiting the PI for big events, not just hunting trips.
You should take the boy to the PI.
Nobody beats Father Time
At 62 years of age, I think that's a good age to retire from serious competition.
He can still play pool way into his 70's, I'm sure, but it'll be better for enjoyment. Retire gracefully. Too many young guns want to say, "I beat Efren."
At 62 years of age, I think that's a good age to retire from serious competition.
He can still play pool way into his 70's, I'm sure, but it'll be better for enjoyment. Retire gracefully. Too many young guns want to say, "I beat Efren."
What kind of article is this? Are we supposed to know to read and understand Filipino? There is no translation of what he's saying....
Can you blame him? Look at what pool has become....elevator music and all.
(He looks so fed up
https://youtu.be/XXEdynTmbFU?t=16m20s
Lemme help you with that:
MANILA - The rising cost of joining tournaments, the sport's evolving playing style, and his age are making it easier for Efren "Bata" Reyes to walk away from billiards.
Reyes flew in recently from the US, where he was due to play in several competitions until August, but he cut his trip short saying he wanted to take a break.
"Kapag wala na talaga, magre-retire na ako. Ngayon nga gusto ko na mag-retire," [If I really don't have it anymore, I would retire. Even now I feel like retiring already.] Reyes told ABS-CBN News on Thursday after getting in a few rounds of English billiards at the Manila headquarters of the Billiards and Snookers Congress of the Philippines, the national governing body for cue sports.
"Wala na akong tatalunin ngayon. Sa tournament wala na akong tatalunin, 'saka magastos lumakad." [I wouldn't be able to beat anyone now, especially in tournaments. Plus, travelling is expensive.]
Reyes said US tournaments at one time didn't charge entrance fees, but now it's not unusual to require players to shell out $2,000 to be able to join events. Add $3,000 for airfare, accommodations and other basics, and that's a $5,000 tab.
"Ang premyo ng 3rd place $5,000, ibig sabihin break-even ka. Paano kung hindi ka 3rd place? Lugi ka," [The prize for 3rd place is $5000, and that usually means you break-even. What if you don't get 3rd place? You're on the short end.]Reyes said, adding that there was a time when lucrative events offered a $100,000 prize for the champion. Now, it's down to just about $30,000.
Efren "Bata" Reyes cut short his trip to the US, citing fatigue. He's currently in Manila to prepare for next month's Southeast Asian Games. If organizers invite him and agree to shoulder essential expenses, he won't hesitate to sign up and play; otherwise, he and long-time benefactor Puyat Sports pick and choose which competitions to go.
At 62 years old, streamlining his schedule is a smart strategy for Reyes. When he was in his mid-50s, he was still a force to reckon with. In 2009, at age 54, he and Django Bustamante won the World Cup of Pool. In 2010, his year-end earnings totaled $93,709, according to AZBilliards.com, his highest in the last 10 years.
But Reyes, who had his eyes operated on in 2005, acknowledged that Father Time has caught up with him. His eyesight isn't dependable anymore to the point that long-range shots are more difficult to convert now. His wrist isn't as steady as before, too.
Fatigue, Reyes said, was the reason he's suddenly back home from the US. "Umalis ako May 16, pero umuwi kaagad ako. Pagod na. Nahirapan na ako," [I went (to the US) on May 16, but I decided to go back home soon after. I feel tired and find it very difficult now.]he said.
Reyes said the game is different now. He currently plays one-pocket, not his signature 9-ball event, because the former is where the money is now.
He said the landscape in his sport is changing.Jump cues, he said, are becoming more popular, a technique that Reyes said undermines safety play and defense, and takes away the thinking aspect of the game.
"Nagsimula nang mauso ang 10-ball. Pumasok na iyong mga break, mga jump cue,"[10-ball has become increasingly popular. The break shot and jump cues have become more prominent in the game.] said Reyes, who rose to fame because of his ability to hide object balls and challenge defenses at the same time by playing unorthodox angles.
"Ang daming magagaling na shooter ngayon. Minsan hindi na kailangan mag-isip, kasi magaling ang break nila."[There's a lot of good shooters right now. Sometimes they don't have to think, because they got a very good break shot.]
Since he returned from the US, Reyes said he has played in a small tournament in Metro Manila, "mga laban-laban,"[small-scale matches] to which he was invited. He used to kick everyone's behinds in such contests, but not anymore.
"Medyo may takot pa sila, akala nila magaling pa ako," [They still have a little fear in them, they think I'm still good.]Reyes said. "May partida na nga ako sa kanila. Marami nang magaling ngayon. Ako na pinapatok ng mga kalaban."[They give me handicaps now. There's a lot of really good players, and I'm the one now who's always getting hammered.]
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Father time gets us all unfortunately. I am happy to have lived in his era and have the privilege of watching him for the last 17 yrs. No player has ever grabbed my attention the way he did. I wish him well.
You're lucky it wasn't written all in Tagalog.
It is a Filipino Newspaper after all.
The Philipines have Both English and Tagalog as Official Languages.
***Nicely ask one of the Pinoys here on AzB to translate the quotes from Reyes.***
I would help you but I'm a Kano.
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Timing
They say timing is everything, for me the timing was perfect. My late friend John O'Neil and I started going to Tournaments in 1994. I had the opportunity to see Efren in his prime at events like the US Open and Derby City.
He was the greatest player I will ever see in my lifetime. I remember the BD cover calling him " The Mayor of Derby City " with his photo. He truly was a Magician on the table.
They say timing is everything, for me the timing was perfect. My late friend John O'Neil and I started going to Tournaments in 1994. I had the opportunity to see Efren in his prime at events like the US Open and Derby City.
He was the greatest player I will ever see in my lifetime. I remember the BD cover calling him " The Mayor of Derby City " with his photo. He truly was a Magician on the table.
Come here to the Philippines and I will hook you up. Spend an evening with the champ and a few others.
Thank you Efren. Cheers to a stone cold warrior.
I have that copy, a few more :thumbup:. The article was very good.
Right. I originally thought it was a prank when I saw the quotes in Filipino.
Amazing how a news site for a certain population has the language of that population in it.
I agree. The very act itself is so repulsive, with the sound, the force... yes, from time to time it can look cool and whatnot, but for the most part it takes away from the safety play, knowing your rails, kicks and angles.
Plus, if not done properly (and sometimes even when done properly) it offers a great chance to damage the cloth, balls or even table over time.
I wouldn't be surprised if jumping was abolished altogether at some point in the future.
The snooker guys don't use it either (which is a moot point, I understand, but I'm just throwing it out there).
Back on topic, I, too consider Efren my favorite player of all time. A lot of modern day players appear to be cut from the same mold, in terms of style of play, technique and all that... Efren is unique any way you look at it. Such grace on the table. Minimum force and maximum result.
I'm sure we'll still be seeing YouTube clips of him gambling in the Philippines for some time longer.
Love the guy.
Really? Seventy percent of that article was written in English with quotes in another language. It literally made no sense. Maybe American sports writers should just write the quotes of Latin baseball players in Spanish. I'm sure no one would have any problem with that.